Printing-plate matrix and method of making the same



Patented May 24, 1921.

W. I. YEOELI..

@5g @wom PRINTING PLATE MATRIX AND METHOD 0F MAKING THE SAME. APPLICATION FILED APR.25, i916. 1,879,431

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wratten a. YEOELL, or ririnannrriria, rnrrnsrr.walnut,` Assieme. ro JOHN l sToenELL sroxns, or rnitanntrnrn, rnimsrnvama.

Specification or Letters atent.

llatented May 24, 3192i..

.application filed April 25, 1916. Serial No. 98,493.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that Il, WILLIAM QI. YEOELL, of Philadelphia, Fennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Printing- Flate Matrices and Methods of Making the Same, of which the vfollowing description, in connection with the 'accompanying drawings, is a specificatiomflike characters on the drawings designating like parts. f

rllhis'invention relates to the art-of printing, and in the present vinstance is directed to matrices for making molded printing plates and to the method of producing such matrices, and is in the" nature of an improvement upon the invention originallty disclosed 'in my prior application, Serial No. 784,456, filed August 12, 1913, and which last mentioned invention now forms the subject matter of my application filed Dec. 2, 1920, Serial No.\427,833, as a division of said prior application 784,456.

In said earlier application Serial No.

784,456, as originally filed, I set forth the use of a synthetic resinous material," in the nature of phenolic condensation lproducts, 1n the manufacture of articles such as Amolded printing plates and their matrices.

Therefore such claims as relate to matrix structures and to the method of making the same and are generic to the present application and to the aforesaid divisionalwkapplication of this original case 784,456 are incorporated in said last mentioned divisional application, while the claims herein are directed 'to improvements upon the invention originally disclosed inv said earlier application, Serial No. 784,456 and now forming the subject matter of the division of the latter.

In practising the present invention I make g the matrix from the composite structure disclosed herein and which includes, as a component, a synthetic resin in the nature lof a phenolic condensation product such as that commercially termed redmanol. As is well known, such a phenolic condensation product, when subjected to a predetermined degree of heat, or heat and pressure, will assume a hard and set and substantially infusible form; Consequently my improved composite matrix structure, when made with a phenolic condensation product as a constituent, will embody the desired features of strength, durability, lightness of weight, and resistance to acids, printing pressures,

and the wear and tear encountered in handling and transportation. i

Furthermore in the preparation of the composite structures from which `my inatrices may be made, I employ. in conjunction with the phenolic condensation product,

strengthening and stiening fillers or sheets of various, sorts in the nature of fibrous material such as felt or paper, or fabrics such .as 'crinoline, coarse linen or the like. 'Ihese fillers Orstrengthening and stiffening sheets may be incorporated in a laminated structure, and employed as a backing for the metallic molding face of the matrix, as shown in the drawings and as hereinafter described. y It is also my purpose to provide an improved method by which` my composite matrix structures may be manufactured by a simplev molding operation at a great saving of time, labor and cost when compared with the preparation of electrotypes, sterotypes, and similar metal plates. l

Furthermore, by the practice of my method, and the utilization of the materials herein set forth, the matrices may be molded so as to accuratelyreproduce the finest de- -tails of an original, such as a type body,

etching or the like, or an original printing body made up of acombination of type, half-tone and etching. i

With the above recited objects and others of a similar nature in view, my invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, and in the improved method, set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure lis a cross sectional View showing i an original type form and a matrix faceJ sheet imposed thereon in preparation for a preliminary step in the making of` the matrix,

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view showing the matrix at a later stagein its formation with the metallic face sheet rolled into the type form and a composite backing imposed upon the face sheet, Y

Fig. 3 is a cross.- sectional View illustrating the matrix and showing printing plate blanks ready to be operated upon in the formation of a printing plate,

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a molded printing plate which may be made with my matrix,

Fig.' 5 shows the molded printing plate of Fig. 4 as mounted upon a Wooden base or block,

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional viewillustrating a portion' of a form of molding box Which may be used in making the matrix, Fig. 7 is a' view inI elevation of a conventional form of press which may be used for pressing or molding the matrix and also the printing plate. A

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, and particularly to Fig. 1, the numeral l indicates, as an entirety, an original type form which is to be reproduced, and as illustrated herein comprises a `plate having ha1ftone matter 1a, and line matter 1b in composition with type 1c, as ll am enabled to reproduce these various printing elements in a single molded matrix, and consequently to subsequently reproduce the same 1n aunita'ry printing plate. y

Upon this type form ll imposev a thin metallic sheet'2 of i'suitable thickness, and possessing the requisite tenacity and flexibility, as the metallic sheet should be capableof being rolled in upon the original type form Without rupturing upon the type, half-tone dots, lines or other characters. .lf desired a plurality of sheets 2 may be rolled in at the same time, being superimposed upon each other.

In the preliminary treatment of the metal sheet 2, which is of a thin foil-like structure, ll impose upon the sheet a blanket 3 of fibrous material preferably treated with or having incorporated therein a sharpening medium 4, and having imposed thereon al definition producing layer 5, all as set forth in my earlier Patent No. 7 82,184, dated .February 7, 1905 and for the purposes thereln stated. The parts thus assembledrare subjected to pressure through a suitable agent, ,such as an ordinary roll press, so that the metal sheet 2 will be rolled into the face of 'the type form, and the rolling operation may be repeated, if necessary, until the metal sheet 2 is swaged or rolled uniformly into the interstices between the type char,-W

lupon the exposed surface or back of'the sheet 2 a c'omposite blank B of ,suitable material. ln the present instance this blank includes layers of a ,phenolic condensation product such as redmanol shown at 7, having incorporated therein a suitable filler such as ,Wood-flour or the likeindicated at 8 in Fig. 2, and also having a ller or stiffening layer 9 of ber, such as the fabric known as crinoline, and also indicated in said Fig.

nemesi 2. As heretofore stated l may use fillers of various kinds, as for example 4the utilization of such heat conducting substances as powdered metal or metallic oxids to increase the heat conductivity of the plastic material or phenolic condensation product; also' felting fibers, fabric -or paper to strengthen and stiifen the molds and also coarseJ linen and similar fabrics for a simi- Any suitable apparatus may be used for molding tle matrix, `one convenient form being that described in my above mentioned prior application, Serial No. 7 84,456.

ln Fig. 6 l have illustrated, somewhat conventionally, and in cross section, a' molding box, shown more in det-ail in said earlier application, 7 84,456, and which may be used in the molding of the matrix, under heat and pressure, as Well asin makin the printing plate `from the matrix. rieflythis molding box, a portion of which is shown in Fig.4 6, comprises a base b, side frames b1 b2 and a top or plunger b3, and if desired the matrix may be molded in this box, when placed in the press conventionally shown at P in Fig. .7. l

lin Fig. 1 the parts, preparatory to rolling in the metal face sheet 2 are shown as mounted upon a supporting bases, While the molding box, the sidles and top being omitted. f

heat and pressure, in the pressf Pfafter the manner described in said earlier application 784,456, it may be removed and will appear as shown in Fig. 3, in cross section, With a metal molding face imposed upon a laminated back consisting of iayers of hard or'baked phenolic condensation produt and the intermediate fibrous layer.

This matrix, as shown Fig. 3 may be in Fig. 2 the letter b indicates the basemof lll@ used in molding a printing plate by imposl i ing upon the metal face a sheet of phenolic condensation product shown at 10, backed With a layer l1 of fabric, which in turn has a backing block 12 imposed thereon. The plate is molded in the press, under heat and pressure, in substantially the manner al"- ready described for molding the matrix', and

when completed will appear substantially as vexs shown in Figs. 4 and 5, after it has been I trimmed. As the printing plate itself, and the method of making the same, form the subject matter of a divisional a plication, filed December 2, 1920, Serial o. 427,831, it need not be described in detail.

While I have herein shown and described the preferred form of my invention, I Wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to all the precise details of construction herein set forth by Way of illustration, as modificationI and variation may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A matrix comprising a body portion, including a layer of fibrous material and a layer of hard and set synthetic resin imposed upon the fibrous layer, and a metallic molding face imposed upon the layer of synthetic resin.

2. A matrix comprising a laminated body portion, including a plurality of layers of hard and s'et synthetic resin and a layer of fibrous material interposed between the layers of synthetic resin, and a metallic mold ing face imposed upon one of the layers of synthetic resin.

3. A matrix comprising a body portion, including a layer of fibrous material and a layer of hard and set synthetic resin imposed upon the fibrous layer, and a molding face of sheet metal imposed upon and united with the layer of synthetic resin.

4. A matrix comprising a body portion including a layer of fibrous material, a layer of hard and set phenolic condensation product imposed upon the fibrous layer, and

densation product.

a molding face of sheet metal imposed upon and united with the layer of phenolic con- 5. A matrix comprising a layer of hard and set synthetic resin having a filler incorporated therein, a layer of fibrous material united with one side of the layer of synthetic resin, and a metallic molding face imposed upon the opposite side of the layer of synthetic resin.

6. The herein described method of forming a matrix which comprises imposing a metallic sheet upon an A,original body to be reproduced, subjecting said sheet to pressure to form therein depression and elevations complemental to the depressions and elevations of the original, then preparing a backing sheet composed of a layer of fibrous material and a layer of synthetic resin, then imposing said backing sheet upon the metallic face sheet with the layer of synthetic resin in contact with said face sheet, and then subjecting the parts to heat and pressure to cause the synthetic resin of the backing sheet to harden and set.

7. A composite sheet including a layer of fibrous material, a layer of synthetic resinous material imposed upon the fibrous layer. and a layer of metallic material imposed on the resinous material.

8. A composite sheet including a layer of fibrous material, a superposed layer comprising a synthetic resinous material and a sheet metal facing imposed on the resinous material and ermanently united thereto.

Signed at hiladelphia, in the county of Philadelphia. and State of Pennsylvania, this fifth day of A ril, 1916.

WIL IAM J. YEOELL. 

